Article of furniture with storage spaces



March 8, 1955 E. F. HARPER ARTICLE OF FURNITURE WITH STORAGE SPACESFiled Nov. 16, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l 4 E M m :u N l ux M m X P i m T R RJ A X x x M4 X x 0 6 X X x 1 x x F w X VA X X x m X REL .X X fl X X X XX X X x x x x X x x X x x .x x x x x x x x X x X K x x x W f March 8,1955 E. F. HARPER ARTICLE OF FURNITURE WITH STORAGE SPACES 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 16, 1955 55 f INVENTOR.

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ATTOEW United States Patent ARTICLE OF FURNITURE WITH STORAGE SPACESEdward F. Harper, Philadelphia, Pa. Application November 16, 1953,Serial No. 392,102

2 Claims. (Cl. 155-114) My invention relates to a new and useful articleof furniture with storage spaces and more particularly a couch, settee,sofa, large chair or the like so constructed as to provide compartmentsfor the temporary storage of articles such as bed clothing, pillows,throw cushions and other items generally used from time to time aboutthe piece of furniture.

An object of this invention is to provide a compartment under the seatand having an access opening at the front which is normally closed bysliding doors giv- 1ng easy access to the compartment when items are tobe placed therein or removed therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide compartments in the armsat the ends of the main body of the article of furniture, each of saidarms having an access opening at the front thereof normally closed by aswinging door preferably hinged to swing on a vertical axis.

Another object of the present invention is to produce an article offurniture including unique structural elements whereby a truly sectionalarticle is provided that can be disconnected for shipping, moving andstorage purposes and reconnected when desired or conveniently located.

Another object of the invention is to produce a sectional article offurniture in which the several sections may be joined in variousrelationships to provide different complete articles of furniture.

A further object of this invention is to provide body frame units whichmay be employed singly or in multiple to produce articles of furnitureof diiferent lengths.

A still further object of the present invention is to produce an armunit having a compartment with an opening at the front normally closedby a hinged door, one of said arm units being removably attached to oneor each end of a body frame unit according to the assembly desired.

With the above and other objects in view this invention consists of thedetails of construction and combination of elements hereinafter setforth and then designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this inventionappertains may understand how to make and use the same I will describeits construction in detail referring by numerals to the accompanyingdrawing forming a part hereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a single body unit couch constructed inaccordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a section of the same on the line 3-3 of Pi l.

F Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section on the line 44 of Fig. 5 is a frontelevation of a multiple body unit couch utilizing the features shown inFigs. 1 to 4 and having portions broken out to represent foreshorteningof the article. 7

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of two body units in thelocation of the joint with some of the elements broken away toillustrate details of construction.

In carrying out my invention as herein embodied 10 represents bodyunits, as a whole, and 11 are arm units.

A body unit 10 comprises two front legs 12 laterally spaced anappropriate distance and two rear legs 13 similarly spaced and arrangedin suitably spaced relation to the front legs directly behind thelatter. The rear legs 13 project to a height above the front legs 12 andthen are preferably inclined rearwardly to provide back support portions14. Top and bottom end rails 15 and 16, respectively, are connected toeach pair of front and rear legs preferably by mitre joints. Also topand bottom front stringers 17 and 18, respectively, are fastened to thefront legs 12 preferably by mitre joints and likewise top and bottomrear stringers 19 and 20, respectively, are attached to the rear legs 13also preferably by mitre joints.

On the inner surfaces of all of said stringers are fixed flange strips21 which function as supports for other elements of structure to bedescribed below. A plywood bottom or floor panel 22 is mounted on andsecured to the flange strips 21 on the bottom front and rear stringers18 and 20, respectively, and end panels 23 are imposed on and fastenedto the inner surfaces of the top and bottom end rails 15 and 16,respectively, and the front and rear legs 12 and 13, respectively, atboth ends of the body unit to close the space between cooperating legsand end rails. A back panel 24, preferably of plywood, is fixed to therear top and bottom stringers 19 and 20, respectively, preferably on theforward faces of said stringers. On the upper edges of the front andrear upper flange "strips 21 are mounted and secured slats 25 extendingfrom the front stringer to the back stringer and spaced apartlongitudinally of the body frame.

0n the slats 25 are mounted a plurality of springs 26, Figs. 3 and 4,partially enclosed by a fabric cover 27 which overlies said springs andhas its edges secured to appropriate parts of the body frame therebyproviding a spring seat as is usual in furniture upholstering.

The bottom, back and end panels with the slats and spring cover form astorage compartment having an opening at the front which is normallyclosed by a pair of sliding doors 28 having grooves or ways in theopposed upper and lower edges for registration with pairs of paralleltracks 29 on the under edge of the front stringer 17 and the upper edgeof the lower front stringer 18. Each sliding door has a knob 30 which iswithin the confines of the body frame to reduce to a minimum the chancesof a persons clothing catching on such knobs.-

On the rear edges of the upper parts of the rear legs 13, including theinclined back support portions 14, are mounted longitudinally arrangedboards 31 to the front faces of which are secured springs 32 havingtheir forward ends enclosed by a fabric covering 33 the edges of whichare fastened to suitable parts of the body frame. This provides aresilient back. Mounted on and secured to the top edges of the two rearleg structures of a unit is a top piece or shelf 34 and over the back ofthe structure is fastened a fabric cover 35 to close said back to keepout dust and other foreign substances.

The arm units 11 are similar but one is for use at the right hand end ofa body unit 10 and the other arm unit is for use at the left hand end ofa body unit. Each arm unit 11 consists of a bottom wall 36, a top wall37, an inner side wall 38, an outer side wall 39 and a back wall 40thereby producing a storage compartment having a front opening normallyclosed by an outwardly swinging door 41 pivotally hinged at the top andbottom to the top and bottom walls 37 and 36, respectively. Each door isprovided with a recessed knob 42 which does not protrude beyond thesurface of the door but can be grasped for opening the same. The door isheld in a closed position by a spring latch of conventional type.

The inner side walls 38 of the arm units and the end panels. 23 and/orthe front and rear leg structure 12 and 13, respectively, have holestherethrough whereby an arm unit may be removably fastened to one oreach end of a body frame unit and, if desired, two body frame units canbe fastened together end wise by appropriate fastening devices 43. Asdepicted in Figs. 1 to 4 an arm unit is assembled on each end of thesingle body unit thus providing a couch of predetermined length whereasin Figs. 5 and 6 there is illustrated a couch having a length equal toapproximately that of two body units by eliminating two of the arm unitsand fastening two body units end to end. In such an assembly there isone arm unit at the outer end of each body unit to provide arms at-bothends of the extra long couch.

In order to raise the couch and the arm structures above the floor footrests 44 in the form of flat blocks are secured to the ends of the bodyframe at both the front and rear and said arm structures merely setthereon.

All of the woodwork which would be exposed at the front, ends and topmay be covered with appropriate fabrics, genuine or imitation leather orother suitable material 45 to enhance the appearance of the finishedarticle.

Seat cushions 46 and back cushions 47 are imposed on the respectivespring assemblies to provide resilient resting surfaces for personsbodies.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided a novelconstruction of furniture in which several separate units are employedand removably joined together to produce articles of different lengthsand types which may be disassembled for easy transportation.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact details ofconstruction herein shown and described as these may be varied withinthe scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and useful is:

1. An article of furniture comprising a body frame unit including pairsof front and back legs and said back legs having rearwardly and upwardlyinclined back support sections, top and bottom rails connected to the 30companion front and back legs, upper and lower stringers connected toeach pair of front legs and each pair of back legs, a bottom panelmounted on the bottom' stringers, a back panel secured to the innerfaces of the stringers connected to the back legs, end panels imposed onthe inner surfaces of companion front and back legs and their respectiverails, sliding doors mounted between the front upper and lowerstringers, slats mounted on the upper front and back stringers in spacedrelation longitudinally of said stringers and adapted to support springscovered by a fabric covering and forming with said bottom, back and endpanels and the doors a storage compartment accessible through theopening normally closed by the sliding doors, fastening meanscooperating with the end panels to connect other units to either end ofsaid body frame unit, a shelf member attached to the upper ends of apair of back support sections, boards secured to the rear edges of apair of said back support sections, springs fastened to the innersurfaces of said boards and covered with a fabric covering, and cushionson the spring coverings.

2. The structure according to claim 1 in combination with foot blockssecured to the bottoms of the legs and projecting outwardly endwise, andarm units at the ends of the body frame unit and resting on said footblocks.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 80,159Faller July 21, 1868 1,077,199 James Oct. 28, 1913 1,327,941 Camp Jan.13, 1920 2,605,820 Powellek Aug. 5, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 271,006 GreatBritain May 19, 1927

